That's this season gone... (broken wrist)

thegreatdivide

Don't slack on the physio they give you, you must keep it moving. And don't get hooked on the meds!

It was a year ago that I got taken out by a car and wrecked my wrist. After two ops my arm is near enough fixed.

Bobbinogs

Blinkin 'eck! What a photo. Are those staples??? I assume they all came out at some point.

humpyg

Secteur wrote:

Nearly bought a pineapple last night - the were on offer, but I don't know if I can bring myself to actually eat one - have always disliked them... But to be honest my wrist is so stiff, I'll do anything

Then cut it up and make a pineapple smoothie, or add in another fruit to make the taste something you prefer.

Secteur

Ouch! That arm looks sore! I thought my wound was impressive!

It's amazing the ability we have to heal though.

The movement is coming back nicely in all aspect except extension at the wrist I.e. I cant cock my wrist back at all, but I can bend it forwards 50% of normal and my thumb is nearly 100% back to normal, thankfully.

The surgeon did say that I may lose extension and that I may never be able to do press ups again (not that I do too many of them now!) but I'd really like to get full movement back if I can, obviously

thegreatdivide

Bobbinogs wrote:

Blinkin 'eck! What a photo. Are those staples??? I assume they all came out at some point.

Yip, about three weeks later. It was a bit of a shock when they took the bandage off for the first time - I was expecting stitches! 20 odd staples, a strip of titanium meccano and plenty of screws. The other side of my arm was sporting a healthy road rash that they left uncovered - that was the bloody sore bit :shock: Had my last op to remove the metal work just before Xmas and now I'm pretty much back to normal. I just have a really impressive scar

Hovis

Hey Secteur, does this have a happy ending now? I have a broken scaphoid currently and I'm trying to find some light at the end of the tunnell!

rc856

Hovis wrote:

Hey Secteur, does this have a happy ending now? I have a broken scaphoid currently and I'm trying to find some light at the end of the tunnell!

Ah, bad news for you mate. Did you end up in a cast or did you have to have an op?
I broke mine a couple of years ago. Broke it in June, only realised in Aug so took late for a cast.
14 weeks off work but IIRC, it was 8 weeks in a cast after the op. Actually felt worse when the cast came off.
Really weak.
As already said, stick with the physio. I probably didn't once I was given the all clear and even now I have to use both hands lifting heavy Le Creuset style pots :roll:

Hovis

Ouch.

I had it in a splint for 10 days, and been in a cast for 3 weeks. Its due to come off next week, and the doc felt at the time it would have healed. But I can feel sharp pains in there making me think its not healing. So I fear he is going to say more cast time.

TBH, im going to push for surgery. I box at a profesional level and need to get back into sport asap. But reading all the stories makes me think it will be a very long time until im back to normal, if i even get there at all...

Hovis

I really hope I dont end up weaker than I was before. I'm a bit of an exercise nut and dont think willl be able to handle a "disability" that well. I will physio the hell out of it, when I get to that stage.

clickrumble

Well, if it helps, one year ago I had a major off and shattered the ball joint on my right shoulder. Happy to say that some very nice people stopped at the time to help. I had an op and was in a very restricting sling for 8 weeks afterwards. As soon as I could after the op and still in the sling I was in the local gym, who gave me a personal program. Once the sling was off I got a good physio and followed up with his exercises religiously. I was back on the bike as soon as I could (but not before the consultant was happy for me to do so). Apart for the odd twinge and not being able to scratch my back with my right hand I am fine now and probably fitter than before I had the accident, so my advice is follow up with the physio and keep up the exercise but do get some expert advice.

Secteur

Hovis wrote:

Hey Secteur, does this have a happy ending now? I have a broken scaphoid currently and I'm trying to find some light at the end of the tunnell!

Hi there,

Yes, my wrist is now essentially normal, 6 months on. It gets a bit stiff and sore from time to time, and I have a big scar but it's fine.

I didnt have any time off work (well, other than two days after the operation) as I was otherwise well, and I think this really helped.

When I came out of plaster after 4 weeks it was VERY sore & stiff and I had zero movement - I really though that was it, but it rapidly got better. I did a few short weeks of exercises which had very little benefit, so I decided to get back on the bike - really painful+++ but this was the best therapy and within 2 weeks I had almost full movement back.

Anyway, a good ending! What's your story?

voodooman

Fractured scaphoid on Boxing Day last year. I elected to have the operation and only missed two days work. Did all the physio and took 4 months off cycling or using the wrist in any way. As a result, got the all clear after 6 months and played a full season of league cricket and now commuting.

Do get the surgery, the cast can be up to 12 weeks and even then there's no guarantee of success. There's no worse bone to break for a sportsman(woman).

Secteur

So, Hovis, hows it going?

Hovis

Hey chaps. Thanks for all the replies, and glad to hear people have recovered well.

Secteur, your case sounds suspiciously like mine (I hope so anyway!). Had the cast taken off on friday, and my wrist was incredibly sore and stiff, moving it in any direction send shooting pains up my arm. Must say I was pretty depressed, as I really thought it was going to feel good once the cast came off.

They did an xray and the doc said she thinks its healed well. Im talking that with a pinch of salt though because all the xrays ive had in the past have been inconclusive. But regardless, Im cast free now. They said they would write to me to get me an appointment with a hand sepcialist to start physio. Im pretty pissed that that didnt happen straight away to be honest. I have no idea what Im supposed to be doing in the mean time.

Ive been trying to move it around as much as possible, holding it in positions that just being to cause pain, trying to regain range. Have been squeezing a stress ball as much as possible too. Are these a good idea? Hopefully I will get he appointment soon.

I must say, its been 2 days since the cast came off and I have been getting more range, but it still hurts like crazy at the limits.

Thanks for the replies guys, really has made me feel better

Secteur

Well done Hovis. I found hand therapy utterly pointless, to be honest. I was given just one exercise to do (trying to touch my thumb to each finger tip, starting with index and then as things loosened up getting right down to the little finger).

I had an operation to screw mine back together, and so was only in cast for 4 weeks following that. Had they not operated, then I believe it's nearer 10-14 weeks in plaster, which would have had major long term tendon function problems, so I chose the surgical option despite the risks, but am glad I did (perhaps I wouldnt be if there'd been any complications, but thankfully there weren't, other than the scar which has become something of a pain).

In the end, once out of plaster, I just did my own exercises (much like you are) and this helped, but after about a month I reached a point of being about 50% better but couldnt get any further improvement with exercises. That's when I decided to get back on the bike. This forced me to flex and extend my wrist to its limits for prolonged periods. At first, it was agony and I could only manage 10 mins, and had to loosen my grip for every tiny bump, but after 2 weeks I was 95% back to normal. Now a few months on I have no ptoblems at all (ok, its still a little stiff but there's nothing I cant do with my wrist).